Liefrange;
Credit: Naruralpark.lu
The National Upper Sûre Lake Commission convened in Nocher (Municipality of Goesdorf) to prepare for the 2025 swimming season and discuss visitor management around the Upper Sûre Lake.
The region, located within a designated nature park, is home to Luxembourg's largest drinking water reservoir and serves as a "popular destination for swimming sand hiking" during the summer months.
According to the Nature Parks of Luxembourg (naturpark.lu), several updates concerning the Upper Sûre region were announced during the meeting. These measures aim to improve visitor management, enhance safety and protect both the natural environment and drinking water resources.
Bathing Season 2025 Updates
The lake is intended to remain both "attractive" and "safe" for visitors while preserving its natural surroundings – particularly during the high-traffic swimming season. Preparations have been coordinated with local and national actors for this purpose.
The information website visit-stausei.lu will be updated to display real-time beach and parking occupancy, allowing visitors to plan their trips from home. A new map has also been introduced to support hiking tourism, showing how the "Stauséi-Navette" shuttle stops connect with nearby trails. The map includes information on bus lines, restaurants and public toilets. The reverse side features additional destinations within the Upper Sûre Nature Park.
All shuttle stops will be clearly signposted. The Stauséi-Navette will operate on weekends and public holidays from May to September along routes 155 and 157. Timetables are available via mobiliteit.lu.
Protection of Drinking Water Zones
The drinking water syndicate SEBES is responsible for ensuring the quality and quantity of water in the reservoir. A status update was provided during the commission meeting. Despite high rainfall and generally favourable conditions in 2024, a warming of deeper water layers was noted. Due to construction work carried out over the winter, the water level is currently low. If rainfall remains scarce, low water levels and increased nutrient concentrations could elevate the risk of algal blooms during summer 2025.
Safety Measures Around the Lake
To enhance visitor safety, police have planned additional operations for summer 2025. A new dock for the police boat has been completed to facilitate lake patrols. In 2024, emergency services (CGDIS) reported few incidents due to weather conditions. Rescue points around the lake were actively used and new vehicles for forest fire response were deployed.
Accessibility Improvements
In Insenborn, Luxembourg's public roads administration (Ponts & Chaussées) completed a new accessible dock. This infrastructure is designed to provide safe and comfortable access to the lake for all visitors, including those with reduced mobility.
Visitor Management
To ensure coordinated visitor flow, the Upper Sûre Nature Park developed a visitor management strategy. Four working groups – coordinated by the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning (Department of Spatial Planning) – were established in 2024 to support implementation. These groups brought together representatives from ministries, public agencies and regional stakeholders.
Interim findings had been presented on 12 November 2024 during a regional commission meeting and in discussions with the six municipalities in the park. The final results of this participatory process were presented to the national commission.
The aim is to improve the visitor experience while also enhancing quality of life for residents and balancing tourism with environmental and water protection objectives. All stakeholders are working together to support a sustainable future for the Upper Sûre region.
